Shoujo Prince and Shonen Hero
by MangKulas
Summary: Everyone knows that Saitou is a prince handsome enough to inspire shoujo mangas , no one seems to see that Yoshida has the makings of a hero as good as any from a shonen manga. Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Aitsu no Daihonmei.
1. Prologue: Nozawa and the Otaku

"Don't we overuse the terms, 'shonen' and 'shojo'?"

-Anonymous

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**Prologue: Nozawa and the **_**Otaku**_

_Interesting_, Nozawa thought. She leaned over the girl's shoulder, casting a shadow.

The girl looked up. It was rare that an _otaku_ would enter the art club instead of the anime club, but Nozawa had to admit, this girl…this girl was good.

On her page was a very credibly cartoonized Yoshida, almond eyes, scar and all.

"So," Nozawa said casually, "You hate Yoshida-kun?"

The girl reddened and slammed her sketchbook against her chest. "What? No"

Nozawa, without any shame or embarrassment whatsoever, pushed the sketchbook out from the girl's arms. "Really, well, the way you drew him here..."

On the girl's sketchbook were two panels. In the first large one, Yoshida had his arms up in a guard, gritting his teeth, his eyes slitted, and he had what seemed to be a hundred arms punching him. In the second one, there was just a tangle of arms, implying that he had been buried in the strange arms.

The girl looked up again, "Ah, well, here." She turned the page.

It was an explosion of arms, bits and pieces flying everywhere, and Yoshida enveloped in an aura of flame, his eyes just banked fire.

"Oh," Nozawa exclaimed. "It looks like a page from Shonen Jump."

The girl looked pleased, and looked back down at the sketchbook. "I'm glad my intention reached you."

Nozawa decided to sit on the curb of the road with the girl. "So, you don't hate Yoshida-kun?"

"No! Why would you ask that? He didn't do anything to me."

Nozawa shrugs. "Every girl in this school hates him."

The girl's eyebrows drew together. "Why?"

"Eh, of course, because of Satou-san. He's always with Satou-san and everyone's jealous."

The girl eyed her warily. "You don't seem to be affected."

Nozawa shrugged. "What about you? Isn't it more normal for me to assume you were interested in Satou?"

"The Shoujo Prince? No, thanks."

Nozawa raised her eyebrows, "The what?"

The _otaku _grinned at her. She flipped through her sketchbook and there was a drawing of Satou-san, looking too handsome, with an exploding flower background. "Shoujo Prince. But it remains to be seen what type of Shoujo Prince he will be."

"Ehhh. Why, how did you do this?"

"Huh? Isn't it too easy to do that? No, Yoshida was the challenge. The Shonen Hero. I'm sure every girl probably fantasizes about Satou as a prince. But Yoshida…he doesn't seem like it, but he's a pretty convincing hero."

Nozawa slyly looked at her, "So, how did you start noticing him? Did he save you from goons on the street?"

Amazingly, the _otaku_ reddened again.

"Ah, he did save you?" Nozawa exclaimed.

The girl turned to fully face Nozawa, reaching for Nozawa's shoulders. "I was scared out of my life. I kept thinking, _this can only happen in a manga. Being surrounded by delinquents, about to get beaten up…this can only happen in a manga._ And you know, Yoshida just came out of nowhere. And he fought them. The action was amazing," the girl's eyes were huge and shining. "Of course, he got beat up. Three against one is a pretty inevitable ending; but I could almost see it! When Yoshida-kun was trying to get up, his face discolored and bruised, but his eyes so determined…it was perfect page for a shonen manga!"

Nozawa, carried along on the words of the _otaku_, was breathless by the time the girl finished. "I have to paint it!" she cried. "I have to paint it." And she ran off, inspired, leaving the _otaku_ to gaze after her, dumbfounded.

On her notebook, the pages with Yoshida enveloped in flame and Satou, smiling like a prince, fluttered in the wind.

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End of Prologue: Nozakawa and the _Otaku_


	2. Part 1: Koike and the Shoujo Prince

The term _**shōjo**_, _**shojo**_, or _**shoujo manga**_ (少女漫画 _shōjo manga_**?**) refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10 and 18. The name romanizes the Japanese **少女** (shōjo), literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama, to boys' love, to science fiction - often with a strong focus on human and romantic relationships and emotions.[1] Strictly speaking, shōjo manga does not comprise a style or a genre _per se_, but rather indicates a target demographic.

-Wikipedia entry, edited 01 March 2011

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**Part 1: Koike and the Shoujo Prince**

The books fell to the floor with a loud crash.

Koike prettily gasped, blushing.

Satou laid a hand on her to steady her, "Are you all right, Koike?"

The sweet sound of violins began to rise.

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-PAUSE-

In the monitor screen of her mind, Koike saw letters typing themselves out.

_Answer A: "Oh no, it was my fault, I feel faint, I think I need to lie down on the school clinic."_

_Answer B: "Oh, I'm quite all right, but thank you for saving me!"_

_Answer C: "I will be…once you help me pick up all those books." *wink*_

-PLAY-

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Koike smiled wanly, "Oh, no, it was my fault. It's just I feel faint, I think I need to lie down in the school clinic."

Satou looked at her, lips turning up slightly. "Well, here let me help you pick up your books-" Koike began to smile. "—so you can walk to the clinic already, before you faint. Makimura, where's Yoshida?" Satou calls out.

And the beautiful smile blooming in Koike's face stops dead, wilted.

Satou smiled down sweetly at her, "do make sure to let Makimura carry your books. I would hate for you to faint and hurt yourself."

In the monitor screen of Koike's mind, the air around Satou sparkled as he looked down at her with such serious, steady, and beautiful eyes. She nods, entranced.

It isn't until she has entered the school clinic that she realizes Makimura is carrying her books.

She shrieks and hits Makimura. The curly-puffy head of Makimura ducks and he backs away, looking at her warily.

Koike turned back around, her teeth gritted.

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-FAILED. TRY AGAIN-

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_The scene is the noisy classroom at lunch_.

She is quite casually eating her lunch. She knows Satou is about to finish his. Surrounded by some girls (Koike catches herself gripping her chopsticks. Exhales). They're trying to pull him away from Makimura, one of the ugly trio of their class. And they're succeeding. But she is nonchalant. Nonchalant. He looks irritated by their attempts to pull him away, anyway.

There! He was looking. At her direction.

Koike smiles and stands with her jug and walks over to the group casually. A classmate's foot is stuck out on the aisle as he slouched. Koike trips, "Aaaaaaahhhhhhh," she cries out. And falls into Saitou's arms, her jug spilling to wet her blouse. She gasps loudly, looking up at Saitou, bringing her arms up in front of her chest.

In the monitor screen of Koike's mind, she could see already, Saitou shaking his head, and with a _whoosh_ put his jacket around her.

She looks up and finds Saitou looking at the doorway. And in the next moment, Saitou has abruptly stood up and Koike is dropped into Makimura's lap, as Saitou makes his way to the doorway where their fat classmate, Akimoto stood.

Koike shrieks, slapping Makimura away.

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-FAILED. TRY AGAIN-

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On the walk home, Koike is determined. Determined. She would have an encounter with Saitou.

Saitou is up ahead, walking leisurely. He's heading in a different direction today.

In the monitor screen of Koike's mind, the question mark blinks. A map comes up with the area and streets of their school and the surrounding neighborhoods. A red line starts to follow the path that Satou is taking.

Koike smiles. Well, she might go wander the shops, after all.

As she walks behind Satou, she looks over his broad shoulders and feels herself blushing. Her attention is suddenly aroused by a school girl walking over to Satou.

In the monitor screen of Koike's mind, the girl has gained a crafty expression, skirt a little too short and the blouse has one too many buttons opened. The rival trying to break her and Satou apart.

Koike speeds up walking. The girl is chattering at Satou, but clearly, he was not interested. He was looking down at his phone, frowning. (He had a beautiful frown, too. This was the first time that Koike has seen him frown. _Clearly_, he feels uncomfortable with the girl trying to force her way between them.)

She sees Satou noticing her from the corner of his eyes. "Ah, Koike-san. How are you doing?"

Koike smiles sweetly, taking a finger to tuck her hair into her ear. "I'm doing well, Satou-kun."

The girl who has approached Satou is glaring daggers at her. Evil hag.

Koike is pulled forward, and she realizes it is Saotu's hand on her arm. Firmly pulling her towards him. Her heart beats faster, her lips drying. _He has finally realized…_

"…should really talk to Koike-san. She knows more about that than I do."

Koike blinks.

She is now left with a fuming school girl. And not even a Makimura to hit.

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-GAME OVER. START AGAIN?-

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End of Chapter 1: Koike and the Shoujo Prince


	3. Part 2: Torachin and the Shonen Hero

The term _**shōnen**_, _**shonen**_, or _**shounen manga**_ (少年漫画 _shōnen manga_**?**) refers to manga marketed to a male audience roughly between the ages of 10 and 18. The Kanji characters (少年) literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters (漫画) generally mean "comic". The complete phrase literally means "young person's comic."… Shōnen (少年) manga (漫画) is typically characterized by high-action,[1] often humorous plots featuring male protagonists. The camaraderie between boys or men on sports teams, fighting squads and the like is often emphasized. Attractive female characters with exaggerated features are also common (see fan service), but are not a requirement.

-Wikipedia entry, edited 3 March 2011

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**Part 2: Torachin and the Shonen Hero**

How the hell had they gotten to this point?

Torachin spat at the ground. He felt for his loose teeth with his tongue. Beside him, Yamanaka was still unconscious, head on Torachin's shoulder.

Ah, right. It was this fool. One of his past conquests had kept a photo of herself and Yamanaka—naked. And the girl, as it turns out, was the girlfriend of the Karate Club's President. And wouldn't you know it, once she was found out; the girl accused Yamanaka of taking advantage of her? And wasn't it just perfect that the Karate Club President was a homophobe, besides? Or that the Karate Club President found Yamanaka when Yamanaka was canoodling with Torachin?

The club president couldn't believe it. A dirty homo fondled his girl's boobs.

So, with his lackeys in tow, the Karate Club President systematically began to hurt Yamanaka, and Torachin, just because he was another dirty homo.

And in the middle of all of this, Yoshiyoshi ran in.

It was stupid, Torachin thought. Yoshiyoshi was really dumb. But in a way, Torachin was really grateful. The president had started to become serious.

Yamanaka was now suffering from ugly bruises on his chest, a black eye, and a split lip. And they were about to start breaking his fingers, one by one. As for Torachin, well, the tally of injuries was a little longer. Torachin had fought back. And fiercely.

Although, people think you'll get injured less if you know how to fight; in fact, that was a complete and utter lie. You had a higher risk of getting hurt _more._ Because you got into more fights, sure, but more importantly, because people tended to get serious with you.

Torachin was in agony. His shoulder was dislocated. He had a broken nose and he was having a hard time breathing.

Really, who wouldn't have rushed in? When Yoshiyoshi had come upon them, Yamanaka's neck was pinned under the Karate Club President's foot, his pants about to be pulled off; Torachin was being held by two guys and his nose was bleeding all over his shirt. Yoshida had taken one look and he'd run in to kick the President off Yamanaka.

The president had yelled at his lackeys, angry and embarrassed.

And his lackeys had come in and one of them punched Yoshiyoshi and the other one grabbed his arms.

"Another one who takes it up the ass," one of them laughed. "Faggot. Can't even fight like a real man."

"Real men?" Yoshida had raged, angry, "Who's a real man out of all of you? Right, ten against one makes you real men."

"Yoshida Yoshio?" The Karate Club President came forward. "You are Yoshida. The guy who quit Karate in junior high."

"Tanaka. What the hell is this?"

Tanaka looked away. "That dude owes me."

"And this is a fair way to face him?" Yoshida spat.

_Was it fate?_ Torachin wondered. The fact that the Karate Club President was embarrassed at being found by a former fellow student at his dojo ganging up on a person? Or that the President was even more embarrassed at being kicked off by somebody who hadn't been practicing karate for awhile? Whatever the case, Tanaka, the Karate Club President looked back at Yoshida and says, "Fine. Let's do this legit as a tournament fight. And you fight in his stead."

Yoshida paused, stopping his struggling. He directly looks at Tanaka. "If I win, you'll leave them alone."

Tanaka smirked, "if you win? Sure, I'll leave them alone. If you win. But if I win, you leave them in my care. Three rounds. Two minutes each round. Whoever wins two rounds win the fight."

"Who'll judge the points?" Yoshida demanded. "Almost everyone here is from your club."

Tanaka looked around and smiled, "Well, I guess if you don't trust us, we can forget about the points and count it as a win if the other person's pushed out of bounds." And snickers arose around the room.

Torachin groaned. Yoshiyoshi was going to get his ass handed to him.

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-ROUND 1. FIGHT!-

Wasn't it obvious? Tanaka was a bigger guy. His growth spurt hadn't stopped like Yoshida's did. But more than that, Yoshida had stopped practicing karate for two years now.

Yoshida had taken off his shoes and was now squaring off against Tanaka. The Karate Club President was stretching, chuckling. Of course. Because it was pretty obvious. Yoshida couldn't possibly beat him. If only Yoshida hadn't quit karate in junior high.

Tanaka and Yoshida bowed to each other, eyes locked. They took up their stances, both using _zenkutsu dachi _as their opening stance. Tanaka, from his _zenkutsu dachi, _moved. And he was fast. He stepped in twice, throwing two fast right front punches, at Yoshida's face and then at his chest.

Yoshida evaded him, stepping back twice, and parrying Tanaka's second punch. He attempted a low kick at Tanaka's unguarded left shin.

Tanaka picked up his foot, not allowing Yoshida's kick to connect, and he threw another front punch from the left.

The punch connected. It threw Yoshiyoshi clear off his feet.

BAM. The sound was loud in the club room. Yoshiyoshi's upper body lay outside of the practice mat.

Torachin groaned. That hadn't even taken two minutes.

-YOU LOSE-

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-ROUND 2. FIGHT!-

Tanaka was smiling, happy. His smirk was even bigger now. Torachin was itching to wipe it off his face. He took a quick worried glance at Yoshiyoshi.

He blinked. Yoshiyoshi didn't look upset at all. In fact, he looked…calm. Even with blood spurting from his nose.

Torachin shook his head; that didn't sound right. Yoshiyoshi wasn't easy to picture as calm or confident. But as Yoshiyoshi sank into a _zenkutsu dachi_ his face really was—not so much calm—but blank. His almond eyes relaxed, no line in his forehead, no worried frown. Empty of fear, anger, and hate. And that, that was it. Torachin had always been able to admire the way that Yoshiyoshi seemed so clear-eyed about people. He saw people without anger or hate and saw them for who they were, without turning away from them.

Now, Torachin watched as Yoshiyoshi and Tanaka locked eyes, taking up their front stances. And he could almost see it. It was as if the fight had already begun between Yoshida and Tanaka with exchanging glares; Yoshida's clear eyes unwilling to break contact.

Tanaka aimed a low kick at Yoshiyoshi's back and instantaneously, Yoshida lifted his back leg, parrying the kick. Tanaka kicked again, and Yoshiyoshi again parried with another kick, jumping back.

Tanaka, enraged, stepped forward quickly, throwing a front punch, and Yoshiyoshi stepped to the side, deflecting the punch, pivoted and lightly pushed Tanaka's back. With Tanaka's momentum and with Yoshiyoshi's light push, Tanaka stepped out of bounds.

The room became deathly quiet. Tanaka was looking at his feet, unable to believe that he was no longer at the practice mat.

Torachin at first couldn't say anything. But he began to give a hoarse yell. "YEAAHH! Go Yoshiyoshi!"

-YOU WIN!-

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_Someone had made a comment that karate was just for meathead fighting jocks. And Yoshiyoshi had hotly defended it. "It's a mind game, you know." _

_People had sniggered. "Yeah, right," their classmate said, "Yoshiyoshi, the Genius."_

"_I'm not saying I'm a genius," Yoshiyoshi returned, annoyed. "It's a mind game, because the fight already starts before you even trade blows. It starts even before you take your stance. Do you know that in _kumite _in karate, when you bow to the referee, you keep your eyes down. But when you bow to your opponent, you keep your eyes up, and locked with the opponent."_

"_To make you comfortable with fighting," Torachin spoke up, nodding. He understood that. When you were in a fight, and adrenaline was pumping from fear, you had to come on strong. _

"_Hmm, yeah, that's one reason," Yoshiyoshi said thoughtfully, "the real reason, my _sensei _said, was…for you to see your opponent clearly." And a lot of their classmates jeered. _

"_What the hell does that mean?"_

"_Yoshiyoshi's talking mystical karate crap again." _

_Torachin hadn't said anything, but he had understood. Yoshiyoshi had been the first person to strike up a conversation with him when junior high had started. Yoshiyoshi had been the first person to see him clearly. _

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-ROUND 3. FIGHT!-

"That was a fluke!" Tanaka barked.

No one said anything. Something was happening. Awhile ago, everyone was making fun of Yoshiyoshi, sure that he would lose against Tanaka. But now, they weren't so sure.

"Huh, whuzzit?" Yamanaka blinks blearily.

Torachin glances at him impatiently. And the fool wakes up just now. "Yoshiyoshi's made a bet. If he can beat that club president, we're saved."

Yamanaka's face began to shine with hope. And it looked odd, his genuine smile and his black eye together, "He's already beat him, right?"

Torachin's heart skips a beat. And on the inside, he curses. Even when Yamanaka's gotten them into trouble, even when he was just no good, Torachin simply could not…resist. Torachin shook his head. "Yeah," he said, gruffly. "Yoshiyoshi's won a round, and the other guy's won a round, too. This last is going to determine if we get out alive at the end of the day. Now, stop talking, let's watch." They turned their eyes to the center of the room.

Tanaka had taken up the front stance again. Angrily, not even bothering to bow or return the bow that Yoshiyoshi gave.

That was psychological impact, Torachin realized, seeing out of the corner of his eyes the embarrassed looks that the club members were giving one another. Tanaka was shaming the club members with how he was dealing with his loss. And it would be this; it would be this that would make the Karate Club members leave them alone.

Tanaka and Yoshiyoshi stepped, almost in sync, to the left. It seemed Tanaka wasn't rushing it this time. For a minute or two, they circled.

"Coward," Tanaka grunted, and moving quickly, he executed a wheel kick, leg coming from the right side to the left, and the whole body turning in a circle.

Yoshiyoshi leaned back, forced to step back. Tanaka wheel kicked again and again, forcing Yoshiyoshi to the edge of the mat. Yoshiyoshi teetered…

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"_I'm not really the best. I don't think I even know the _katas _half as well as I should. I win maybe half the time." Yoshiyoshi shrugged._

"_But you win?" Torachin asked._

"_Yeah," Yoshiyoshi looked up, a bit embarrassed. _

"_What?"_

"_You know, karate's not just about punches and kicks."_

"_Yeah, yeah, it's a mind game. You're being mystical again."_

"_No, I'm not," Yoshiyoshi said, irritated. "You know, how I was saying that fighting is about seeing your opponents clearly, right? Well, _sensei _always tells us that good fighters are those who are well-conditioned and have fast reflexes, better fighters are those who can think on their feet, but the best…are those who can anticipate opponents. That's why you have to see everyone clearly, strengths and weaknesses." _

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Tanaka wheel kicked with a grin of triumph.

And Yoshiyoshi wheel kicked with him, _in sync_, and he hooked Tanaka's leg with his own, and with more momentum than anything else, Yoshiyoshi pushed Tanaka out again.

The Karate Club President ended out of the mat, out of bounds.

This time, both Yamanaka and Torachin were yelling, bound and still cheering.

-YOU WIN! CONGRATULATIONS!-

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"That doesn't fucking count!" Tanaka raged, turning around.

The other club members are looking at each other, not knowing what to do.

Yamanaka and Torachin fall quiet.

Torachin's heart sinks. Of course. This was real life. Real life doesn't work like the fucking movies or like a fucking game. Just because you won the fight…

Tanaka was looming over Yoshiyoshi like a storm cloud. And it didn't seem anybody was inclined to stop him from beating up Yoshida.

Torachin suddenly noticed that Yoshiyoshi was looking at them and then eyes flicking to the door nearest to them.

"Oy," he whispered to Yamanaka, "Get ready to run."

Tanaka punched.

Yoshiyoshi ducked. And he…it wasn't a punch, it was more like Yoshiyoshi had jabbed. And he had jabbed at Tanaka's solar plexus, a pressure point, which was right in his face.

Tanaka wheezed, and Yoshiyoshi was already running towards the door.

It was only for a moment, but Yoshiyoshi's tactic had let them escape.

Torachin and Yamanaka were also out of the door, hands bound, bloodied and they were all running, or hobbling, as it were.

Torachin's shoulder was hurting like hell, and something was pressing hard against his chest, and he knew Yamanaka was hurting, too. And they were probably going to get caught, anyway. but he couldn't help smiling as he heard all the Karate Club members behind them. It was true, Torachin reflected. Look at Satou, he seemed most like himself with Yoshiyoshi. It seemed like only Yoshiyoshi was the only one able to see people so clearly, and perhaps that meant seeing them with compassion. A true hero of justice.

Who would have thought? Yoshiyoshi could very well have been a hero out of a shonen manga.

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The END of Part 2: Torachin and the Shonen Hero


	4. Part 3: Nishida and the Reality of Love

_In philosophy, _reality_ is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined.[1] In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible. A still more broad definition includes everything that has existed, exists, or will exist._

_Philosophers, mathematicians, and others ancient and modern such as Aristotle, Plato, Frege, Wittgenstein, Russell etc., have made a distinction between thought corresponding to reality, coherent abstractions, and that which cannot even be rationally thought. By contrast existence is often restricted solely to that which has physical existence or has a direct basis in it in the way that thoughts do in the brain._

_Reality is often contrasted with what is imaginary, delusional, (only) in the mind, dreams, what is abstract, what is false, or what is fictional. The truth refers to what is real, while falsity refers to what is not. Fictions are considered not real._

-Wikipedia entry, edited 20 March 2012

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**Part 3: Nishida and the Reality of Love**

They ran for their lives. And they hid for their lives

The Karate Club was all over the school, back and forth, like ominous patrolmen, looking under bushes. Inspecting the rooms, visiting the roof.

Torachin had the best idea out of all of them: circle back to the Karate Club Dojo. That would have been the last place they would look for Torachin, Yamanaka, and Yoshida.

They were sitting against the wall, breathing hard from the running.

"Why, Torachin, do you save Yamanaka's ass every time?" Yoshida said, wheezing.

"Hey, that's not fair. Can't be my fault that people fall in love with me," Yamanaka shot back, as he held his chest. "Besides, Torachin _likes_ my ass—"

Torachin slapped a hand against Yamanaka's mouth. "Shhh."

The high window of the Dojo let afternoon sunlight into the room. And there was a shadow, the shape of a person's head, crossing the light.

All three pressed themselves against the wall and tried to think themselves invisible as best as they could.

"Yoshida?" Came the tentative whisper, but the person need not have bothered, as his whisper carried loudly, anyway.

A _whoosh_ sounded as Yoshida, Torachin, and Yamanaka all exhaled. Yoshida jumped up and held the bars of the window, where outside, Nishida was standing, tall and handsome. "Jeez, thank god, you're here. Yamanaka and Torachin's hurt. Do you think you can help me get them out of here?"

"Wait." And Nishida disappeared for a moment.

He came around to the entrance of the room. He shook at head, seeing Yamanaka and Torachin. "They really got you guys good. Come on, Yoshida, have Torachin lean on you. I'll take Yamanaka. There should still be a nurse in the clinic. We can at least call for the hospital from there."

They made it all the way into the clinic, getting Toraching and Yamanaka settled into beds, and the two (despite the situation hanging over their heads) were simply so tired and beat up that they fell asleep.

And that's when the Karate Club found them.

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_Torachin is dreaming. _

_He is dreaming that he was a face among many faces embedded in the stones of a deep, dark well. And in the dream, something falls past him._

_And out of curiosity, he moves, wiggling and stretching out joints and fingers and hands, which creaked like stone rubbing against each other. And he pulled himself out of the well._

_He climbed down. And at the bottom was a frog. He brings up the frog on his hand, and begins to climb the well._

_The frog starts to change, turning human with every step that he climbs up. First growing bigger, then his lips becoming longer and no longer bent. Warty skin changing into pink, hairless skin. Head becoming smaller, and a neck appearing. Until finally, Yamanaka was clinging to his back, arms around his neck, as Torachin climbs out of the well._

_And he finds that the frog, now a man, was not the only one changed. He, as well, had changed. He had become soft, no longer made of the stone shell that covered him. His outside more matching his inside, as something not scary, as something that could love. It felt completely real._

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_Yamanaka is dreaming. He is dreaming that he was drowning in a large, luxurious bed. And although, there were many bodies drowning with him, nobody seemed afraid of being alone. He had no one to talk to and all the bodies were just that, bodies. _

_Then a hand pulls him and he surfaces from the bed, bodies rolling all around him. And he sees Torachin's face above him, with the sun behind Torachin's head, the light blinding Yamanaka._

_And although, there were so many bodies around, Yamanaka understands that Torachin is the only real thing in the bed. The only real thing._

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Nishida and Yoshida are standing in front of the clinic beds. They've closed all the curtains so that the Karate Club members don't know where Yamanaka and Torachin are.

"They…seem out of balance," Nishida mutters out of the corner of his mouth. It was slight, but it was there, the hesitation in the way the members took their stances. This was his fighting experience talking. "Did you do something to them?"

Yoshida shook his head, paused, "I beat Tanaka, their president, in a tournament-style fight."

"Ah," Nishida smiled. "Good job, Yoshida." He rushed the members, sure of the victory. And when Nishida fights, he fights economically. He ensures that he will knock them out, without lasting damage. He ensures that the fight will be done. What he doesn't count on is the darkness in human nature, including the instinct to cheat. One of the Karate Club members beat him over the head with a chair. And Nishida goes down.

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_After Nishida gets knocked out, he suddenly dreams. _

_He dreamt about an angry and twisted Satou. And the less said about his cruelty and his unhappiness, the better. He functions, and even carves a successful life, job, and network. All the while not quite believing in any of it. _

_He dreamt about Yoshida who went through life normally. With no distractions, no harassment from the girls, who was able to even enjoy club activities and school. Nishida even becomes really close friends with this Yoshida, who is stable, normal, and for a relative measure of happy, happy. But who always felt that life was...ordinary. They become really close friends, and when Nishida confesses, Yoshida—_

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Nishida wakes up in the middle of it, for a bit, and he simply sees bodies. He is disoriented. The dream had felt so real.

But here was Yoshida, pushing people away and keeping a two-feet semi-circle of space by swinging a metal folding chair of his own. And the dark pulls Nishida back.

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_He dreams again. Of himself and Yoshida walking by a lake. It's winter. The quiet that surrounds them is so palpable. Yoshida seems older, even though he's still short. He has a scarf around his neck, and it barely shows the scar he had under his left eye. They are walking and Nishida feels happy. He realizes with a start that he is still in love with Yoshida in the dream. But it is…a soft feeling, the kind that warms you at nights and is quite close to nostalgia. _

_It feels so real that Nishida starts to say, "Hey, I had this weird dream where we were back in high school and we were fighting off the Karate Club," but the dream slips away…_

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What Nishida wakes up to is Yoshida on the floor, breathing hard, hurt once more. Satou is at the doorway, while everyone (even the police) edging by him as they pick up Karate Club members. The chill he radiates is incredibly real.

There are medics transferring Torachin and Yamanaka into stretchers.

Satou does not do anything flashy. He simply swoops in, and will be the one remembered, if Yoshida's look is anything to go by. Nishida looks back at Satou and his breath stops…there is a look on Satou's face. It is difficult to describe, but Nishida feels that this is the most truthful that Satou has been. The look in Satou's eyes as he watches an injured Yoshida, who has a gash on his face again…it is the look of someone who cannot forget that he has feelings, it is the look of someone who wants to be cynical and who wants to hate the world, but cannot, it is the look of someone who is in love.

And this is the reality of love.

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_Reality is just all about perception. It could mean what actually exists, but it could also mean what _could _exist. _

_Many people see Satou as a dreamy prince, worthy of shojo romance, when many others know that Satou is a sadist who is twisted and keeps up a front, lies to the girls and gets Yoshida blamed. _

_Many people see Yoshida as a loser, when many others know that Yoshida is pure-hearted hero, who will help a bullied classmate, who will properly turn down someone so as not to lead them around, and who is honest with himself when he realizes he is in love with someone._

_Reality is all about perception._

_Nishida does not understand why Yoshida likes Satou. He does not understand that Yoshida has seen the Satou that other people don't see, the twisted Satou underneath the celebrated prince, and even the Satou underneath that twisted layer. The one who feels empty and sad. The one who can genuinely smile._

_The girls don't understand why Satou bothers with Yoshida when he is so popular. They do not understand that Satou knows the Yoshida that other people don't see, the Yoshida whose careless heroism hides underneath the monkey face, and the Yoshida underneath that, who accepts everyone for who they are, twisted or not, homo or not, scary or not. The one who can love immensely. The one who genuinely smiles._

_Did you know that you can shift reality?_

_The day can become brighter, people can become kinder, because of how you feel inside, because of how someone makes you feel. So that a dark world where everything is meaningless, where everyone will become dust and where people's actions will be forgotten, can become a world where a trip to a cheesy amusement park is fun, where losers whom you wouldn't associate with become your regular lunch buddies, and where every new morning is something to look forward to. This is how Satou and Yoshida feel about each other. They shift each other's realities so that all the world becomes an adventure to experience together._

_They say that the world keeps on changing, but in reality, it's you who changes._

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The girls whisper and mutter angrily. This is because Satou is holding Yoshida's hand. Yoshida is refusing to go the hospital, but it seems Satou will have the final word.

"It's not a big deal," Yoshida says defensively.

"Stop it!" Satou takes ahold of Yoshida's face possessively. "I've been looking for you all day, dodging irritating women and asking Makimura and Akimoto where you've been hiding. And it turns out that you've just been playing with the Karate Club members."

"Playing? They were about to beat us up!"

Satou tightens his hand, "You…I don't like seeing you hurt." And there is a look that passes between them.

It makes the girls angrier. But it does inspire an otaku girl.

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Nozawa, the girl, notices that Otaku Girl in the art club is furiously drawing something. Curious, she draws near and watches the girl draw.

"Eh, that's Satou and Yoshida, ah." She looks close, "EHHHH! Is Satou &$#%! Yoshida and Yoshida's !$%&*# Satou."

Otaku girl looks up, beaming, "Yes! I'm making a love story out of them, Satou as the prince of darkness, and Yoshida as an adventuring hero for good who falls in love with Satou. Shonen-ai is the best!" She squeals.

Nozawa can only shake her head.

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The END of Chapter 3: Nishida and the Reality of Love


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